Apparent Ending (NMN Revision)
by Jewelsio
Summary: Dreamland has been a land of peaceful dreams for years, but Kirby suddenly experiences his very first nightmares. Ready to discover the cause of the dilemma, Meta Knight joins Kirby on a journey to restore peace for good. But little do they realize what they're truly getting themselves into; the final battle with "Him" is upon them, and they are determined to be victorious.


**(Author's Notes will all be placed toward the end so you can jump right into the story. The only notes that will be listed above are edit notes, but nothing more. Enjoy!)**

* * *

Nightmares. They plague all dreamers one night or another, bringing forward insecurities or worries hidden in subconsciousness. Anybody who has slept has known the fear of nightmares. However, there is one who has been reborn, and in rebirth, has never known such a reality.

But the star upon the purple-striped rod shines no more. Its death brought nightmares to bay across the land it protected. At least, that's what they assumed; the victors were so quick to celebrate that they never realized the loser faked defeat for the purpose of fleeing to recover from severe battle wounds. Years passed without anymore disturbances in dreams, and life continued normally. Unfortunately for all, the time has come in which evil is healed- stronger than ever, perhaps- and begins its revenge for the one who has claimed victory with the cursed star rod.

Innocence shall perish once more; it never existed previously, and _He_ would make sure it never existed again.

* * *

All was black, the area smothered with darkness and the unknown. Such a scene set nerves on edge, eyes wide open, though there was nothing to see. Uneasy, uncertain arms reached out to feel for invisible barriers, and when there were none to be felt, equally uneasy, uncertain feet began to walk. Walk where…? An escape, if such a place existed? An exit to come into light? There flooded irrational answers to match rhetorical questions, but hesitant movements did not cease.

Every single step taken was hushed, each one uncomfortably loud in the silence. Even short, quiet breaths grasping for seemingly depleting oxygen were audible; the terrified shakiness in inhales and exhales were painful to hear. _Make this stop, the silence is too much. Where are sounds and light…? How long will this last?_

Ironically, the internal pleas did not fall on deaf ears. Relief was provided, but suddenly appeared doubts as a new sound ripped through the eeriness:

_Tap...tap...tap..._

It came from behind at a volume so intense, adrenaline exploded while suddenly-halted heels spun with incredible reflex. The source was so close, yet the lack of light prohibited any sense of recognition. Realization that solitude was nonexistent washed over, yet the reactions were split; it was impossible to know whether or not solitude was wanted at this moment. It did not matter anyway, since that thought presented impossible, too.

There was no communication spoken. It was not necessary. There were no words to be spoken. Frayed, hyperactive nerves met a source of darkness that made the rest of the area look bright, though walls and floors remained invisible in their own demise. Silence took over once again, suffocation driving nerves to their breaking point and heartbeats to a skyrocketing pace. Before anything could be comprehended, the figure of perfect terror began to expand. Its swallow marked the end, though such a fate seemed heavenly compared to this torture. There was still room for petrified thoughts.

_What is happening?! Why is this darkness taking over?! Please, someone, help me-!_

* * *

"…!"

Kirby catapulted from the bed with a sharp intake, eyes open wider than imaginable and skin a ghostly pale. His heart felt like it could rip free from his body, and his nerves were ultimately shot. He stood upright in shock for a few moments, slowly but surely beginning to recover his thoughts and return to his cozy little dome home. Once his breathing and heartbeat were regulated to steady pace, he slumped back into his pillows in confusion and fear. Though he knew of restless nights and dreamless sleep, he could not recall times when he was startled so violently that he jolted in pure terror.

Unfortunately, there was nobody near to comfort him, and he was too scared to move. He did not know what to do next. He knew that it was after midnight, and his best choice of action was to fall back asleep to avoid feeling drowsy for tomorrow's training session with Meta Knight. But...he was hesitant to sleep again- and reasonably so.

Worries plagued his little, tired self; he felt as if his body would collapse until he saw the sun, yet his mind was wide awake with lingering adrenaline. It was as if his body was at war with his thoughts, one trying to gain dominance over another through restless exhaustion. Kirby groaned in frustration, rubbed his eyes, and finally decided to lie down at the very least. Maybe his mind would finally cooperate if his eyes shut and exhaustion took its toll.

The next hours dragged on without mercy. It had to be the longest night Kirby ever experienced, and frustration proved not to be a strong enough word to describe his emotions. Although he was comfortably snug in his bed, pillow feeling softer than ever, he was restless. It felt impossible to slip into dreamy unconsciousness, despite his best efforts. His mind remained burdened with racing thoughts, and his eyes could not decide whether to stay open or closed.

It was horrible.

_He_ felt horrible.

Just as his mind began to surrender to his body's cries for sleep, light began to shine through the curtains of the window. It was morning: time to get up. The realization only made his eyelids seem heavier, but headstrong, iron will yanked the covers across the mattress, and two bright red feet swung to the side and greeted the feeling of carpet underneath them. With a stretch and a yawn, Kirby stood up from the bed and began prepping for the day. Training was normally an activity he couldn't wait to begin, but after a night without rest, the mere thought of vigorous exercises brought upon the child a wave of fatigue. He knew skipping a session was not an option, so he shook off tired feelings and made his way to the training grounds.

Every single step he took was slow; it was as if each one felt heavier than the last. He wanted to turn around and go home or simply drop on the ground, but he knew Meta Knight was waiting, and rebelling in protest would not benefit anybody. Not only would his beloved mentor be disappointed, but Kirby knew he would feel so guilty that it would eat him alive and prevent him from sleeping. He had to keep going. In his desperation, his thoughts began to spark with positive encouragement. _There's always a chance I'll feel better after I train! Maybe Meta Knight will end training early or take it easy today? Or...there's even a chance he might even cancel whatever he has in store today, and we can relax together!_ He held onto those words as if they were the only thing left to fuel him in perseverance.

The training grounds are located in the center of Whispy Woods, so normally Kirby greets Whispy himself while munching down apples for breakfast. Not only was he probably a little late to the session already, but Kirby didn't feel hungry this morning. It wasn't that he lost his appetite, but his fatigue dominated over his body enough that he didn't notice his hunger. He didn't even stop by Whispy to say his normal hello. All he did was internally wish the tree a good morning, but he kept going toward the center of the forest. Despite how tired he felt, he could never forget the very first time Meta Knight showed him how to get to the middle of Whispy Woods.

_The area was too easy to get lost within, but his mentor showed him now to find his way through landmarks. He was so nervous to go by himself for the first time, but that was years ago. Now he can walk without even looking for the marks and thinking twice; it's become second nature. The first day the two trained seems like forever ago...he's grown so much since then. And yet, he is still a child._

_He still has so much to learn, to experience, to practice, and to fight. It may have been years since his very first training days, but they are far from over._

…_!_

Kirby realized he had fallen into a reminiscing daydream and began to fall asleep standing upright. After a quick shake of the head, few quick eye blinks, and one quick body shudder for good measure, he picked up a little speed in his walk and continued. He really hoped he wasn't too late; an angry Meta was a merciless Meta, and rigorous training was the last thing Kirby needed today.

Once through the last layer of woodland trees, Kirby finally arrived at the training area. The area never changed and only became more nostalgic with time and memories. There were so many good training sessions, the best ones resulting in Meta Knight outwardly showing subtle pride through praise and Kirby feeling victorious after overcoming challenges and pleasing his mentor. But of course, there were also bad days, when all luck seemed to run out and breakthroughs that were expected never occurred. Such sessions resulted in frustration: the worst emotional state when giving lectures. Blunt words occasionally brought tears and damaged self-confidence, but they also gave critiques that needed to be heard. They reassured the young student to keep going rather than giving up in the face of defeat- a vital skill to becoming a warrior.

Resembling desert terrain, the training ground was unlike the surrounding grasslands. The texture was grainy like sand, and when the two ran, their feet kicked clouds of loose, dry soil into the air. There always seemed to be a man-made fog suspend around them. Though Kirby's eyes were affected, his mentor had enough training and experience to be able to see through the thickest coats of dust. So naturally, he saw Kirby before the student realized he was spotted. Meta Knight took a step forward, his movements purposively audible to alert his student of his presence.

"Good morning, Kirby." He greeted.

"Goo morn'ng...Meta Knight." Kirby replied, offering a lethargic wave in addition to a little smile.

Immediately, Meta Knight noticed the child's slur in his words. When he first met Kirby, the pink puff was only a baby, and the only words he seemed to know were "poyo" and unrecognizable babbling. With time, he was taught how to speak, and his first sentences consisted of babbling, like any typical toddler. Though those days have been over, he still stumbles over words occasionally, especially unfamiliar ones.

However, his slurring today wasn't normal. And it didn't take Meta Knight more than one simple sentence to notice.

He then realized the slurring wasn't the only odd thing about Kirby today. A glance at the boy's face revealed a pair of dull eyes that had lost their sparkle, a matching set of dark circles, two cheek puffs that were too puffy for liking, a skin complexion toned lighter than usual, and an overall pathetic stance that barely held the body straight. The child's eyelids drooped as if staying open was an impossible task, and he unconsciously swayed on his feet.

Clearly, this boy had seen better days.

It wasn't usual for Kirby to look this awful, so Meta Knight immediately wondered what was wrong, if there was anything wrong. If he was able to walk all the way to the fields, clearly he wasn't in terrible shape, and this fact erased all worries in Meta's mind. Still, Kirby did look off, so he asked,

"Kirby, you do not appear to be yourself this morning. Is everything alright?"

The child was in a daze, slowly slipping in and out of consciousness. "...hmm? Oh, yea...m'fine. Just had a...bad night, 's'all."

"What do you mean 'a bad night?' Were you not able to fall asleep?"  
"Oh, no, I just...I had a...bad dream. It was...kinda scary, and I couldn't fall 'sleep afterward."

Meta Knight was puzzled. _Such a situation has been made impossible, _he pondered, _bad dreams only occur when the Fountain of Dreams becomes "corrupted" and in result, nightmares plague sleeping victims. The Star Rod served as the fountain's provider and protection for ages, and only once was it stolen and corrupted by evil forces. The village suffered for some time, but in the end, it was Kirby who had recovered and rekindled the light hidden in the star's core. Once alive from pure, star warrior power, the Star Rod was used as Kirby's weapon against Nightmare. The battlefield was quickly engulfed with a blinding light. Victorious with its task fulfilled, the Star Rod disintegrated, taking Nightmare and his chaos down with its death. Nobody has complained of restless nights ever since then._

_Out of all people to claim of having nightmares, I would have never guessed the victim would be Kirby. This may be more of a concern than I first assumed, but it would not be wise if I got ahead of myself too quickly. I do not know what Nightmare's motive is at this moment, and I cannot even confirm whether he is alive or dead. The best move is to play a waiting game, notice any patterns in his appearances if they repeat, and stay alert for signs regarding how to deal with this situation. Since I lack definite answers, I need to keep Kirby calm until I discover more information._

Meta Knight opened his eyes from his meditative moment to see two dulled, but bright blue ones staring in direct contact with him. Kirby knew Meta Knight's pondering expression well, and his internal brainstorms always followed with external explanations, so he waited patiently for his mentor's conclusion. The elder of the two gave a soft sigh and began, "I do not know what you may have experienced last night or why, but do not be alarmed, child. For now, we must both be patient. In addition to patience, I have one more thing to ask of you."

_Very important? _Kirby was very curious and the stars in his eyes brightened a bit with eagerness. "Oh? What's up?"

"I would request that you stay the night at the castle. I will prepare the guest room for you so that if you have another bad dream, you can notify me quickly. With only one night this has occurred, I want to take precautions just in case the situation repeats; we must keep alert for any patterns or signs if any do exist."

"Sure thing! It's better to be safe than sorry after all, right?"  
"Precisely."

Kirby smiled in delight; it had been ages since he slept over Meta Knight's, and he was excited for this little sleepover! All this excitement over sleep suddenly made him realize the lack he had from the night before, and without thinking twice, he let out a big yawn. He stretched out his paws and then rubbed at his watery eyes that had teared up from the yawn. Meta Knight have a subtle chuckle under his mask and looked at his exhausted student.

"Perhaps it would be best that we postpone training until tomorrow. You do not appear to be in the best shape for training, and if I do not let you go now, there is a good chance you will fall asleep on the battlefield."

Kirby was surprised. _Meta? Cancelling training for a day? _"Wait what? But, but," he stammered, unable to recover from shock, "I can train, honest! Are you sure you wanna move this until tomorrow? I'll be fine!" Just after that statement, he let out another yawn.

Meta Knight nodded. "It would not hurt either of us if we postponed the date. You have been making satisfactory progress as of late, and it would be best if a growing student like you were to recover sleep in order to stay in good health. I shall see you tonight; try to take it easy for the rest of the day." "Thank you so much, Meta Knight! I'll see you tonight, yea!" With that, Kirby gave his mentor a quick hug and then skipped back home to crash into bed and make up lost z's.

_Hang in there, Kirby, _Meta Knight thought as he watched his student disappear into the woods, _you may be in for a bigger storm than the both of us could ever imagine._

* * *

**Hello everybody, it's so great to be back with you guys again! I'm very excited to begin a new story, despite this one being a remake.**

**Just a disclaimer for all of my new readers; you do NOT need to read the original version of this story or any of my other stories to understand what's going on here!**

**If we're being honest, I never thought I would go back and rewrite anything. I began the original version of this story when I was a junior in high school, but now I'm a sophomore in college, and I don't have free time like I did in the past. But heck if you think that's going to stop me! It's easier to focus on writing now that summer break's here, but I can't say how often I'll update when school begins again (12 classes and 18 credits more than keeps me on my toes!)**

**I do want to thank you guys for all of your feedback and support, both past and future. It really warms my heart reading your lovely reviews, so I'm really grateful. I hope you enjoy this remake of No More Nightmares! There will be an updated image for the cover art coming (hopefully) soon, as well as a few plot/character changes for future chapters. **

**Until then, get some rest fellow late-night readers, stay hydrated, and don't forget to smile today! C:**


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